Clemson's Dabo Swinney Says Critics of 4-4 Record Won't 'Steal My Joy'

The Clemson Tigers have struggled to a 4-4 record this season, but head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters Tuesday that he isn't letting the critics "steal my joy."

Swinney said in response to a question about the difference between fair and unfair criticism, per ESPN's David Hale:

"I've got a long way to go in this profession. f they want me back here, I'm going to fight like crap to get this back to the standard."

"But I'm not going to let anything steal my joy of what I do. It doesn't mean I'm happy, but I've got a lot of joy in what I do. I'm not going to let winning become a relief. I'm not going to allow that to happen. The fun should be in the winning, and if it gets to where it's not fun anymore, hey, we'll go from there."

Swinney's comments come after he told reporters earlier this month that fans have become too unappreciative of winning.

"We're at a point where If you don't go undefeated—you are losers, you're terrible .... and that is just such a terrible mindset," Swinney said at the time. "Honestly, maybe we need to lose a few games and lighten up the bandwagon. Sometimes the bandwagon can get a little too full."

Clemson had a long run of success that spanned more than a decade thanks to the likes of star quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence. The two led the Tigers into the College Football Playoff each season between the 2015-2020 campaigns.

Watson helped Clemson win the national title during the 2016 season, and Lawrence followed that up with another championship for the Tigers during the 2018 campaign.

Since then, fans have developed an expectation of winning, but Clemson has seen its quarterback room regress over the last few seasons. The program has relied on DJ Uiagalelei and more recently Cade Klubnik under center.

Klubnik led Clemson to a 4-2 start this season, but he and the Tigers have received immense criticism following back-to-back losses to the Miami Hurricanes and NC State Wolfpack over the last two weeks.

With a berth in the CFP out of the picture for Clemson, it's probably time for fans to temper their expectations.